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Nice Steve.On my first trip to the mountains, I went to the East ridge Wolfs Head in the Wind Rivers. We figured it's only 5.5, it's easier than Thin Air for Gods sake, and we'll pitch it out, take our time and work it out. We arrived at the summit block at midday just in time for a spectacular electrical storm. I remember it like it was yesterday, after thirty years. Some of the best lessons are hard won I think.

Nice Steve.On my first trip to the mountains, I went to the East ridge Wolfs Head in the Wind Rivers. We figured it's only 5.5, it's easier than Thin Air for Gods sake, and we'll pitch it out, take our time and work it out. We arrived at the summit block at midday just in time for a spectacular electrical storm. I remember it like it was yesterday, after thirty years. Some of the best lessons are hard won I think.

Talk about understatements.

I can understand that Dave take too much time to climb the route (take our time and work it out)...in a mountain. That he didn't know and see the first sign of a thunderstorm, that he didn't know how the high and low pressure is moving in that particular area.

Nothing like that in the post of steeve. Yes it is exposed, but there is step cut in above, he was with a women who make film and climbed for five years and other guys too. There is no snow on the rock and it was a sunny day without wind.

The problem is that Dave said, long time ago, don't climb!! and Steeve ask, as an understatement, why is it a lack of experiment to have a beautifull sunny day in that kind of area. One promote climbing and the other discourage people.

I suggest you read my original post again. There was no girl on that climb in 1967. I loaned the photo to a girl, 2 years ago, who wasn't even born when the photo was taken.

The guys on the climb; including me, had very little climbing experience, and the fact that we didn't take ice axes, is an indication of our poor judgement. If you look at the photo carefully, you will notice that on the left side, there is a vertical drop, and if the snow on the right started to slide, we would of been in trouble. In fact, I'm not sure an ice axe would of helped. A self arrest on bare rock, is hard to do.

I could post plenty of "dumb" pictures of BITD, but I don't have the equipment or ambition to bother.

Lucky Luke,In fact, I'm not sure an ice axe would of helped. A self arrest on bare rock, is hard to do.

I heard about some route that finished on a snow ridge. And it was normal not to bring ice tools. I saw the vertical drop and think about herman bull, sumiter of nanga parmat i think, who felt on a corniche. Nothing like that in that picture.

I am still thinking that it is not a mistake. And I don't think that I overestimated your quality as a climber even when you began. i appologize if I use your comment in a wrong way.

I just want that more people will be able to see those spectacular climb safely. If someone think that trainiing and bringing more euipmen can save is life, I will be very happy...

Nice Steve.On my first trip to the mountains, I went to the East ridge Wolfs Head in the Wind Rivers. We figured it's only 5.5, it's easier than Thin Air for Gods sake, and we'll pitch it out, take our time and work it out. We arrived at the summit block at midday just in time for a spectacular electrical storm. I remember it like it was yesterday, after thirty years. Some of the best lessons are hard won I think.

Ahhh.... Wolf's Head.Cirque of the lightening rods. I've got my own story on that "5.5". Ha! I can only imagine yours'! Remember Warbonnet smartpig?Crazzzieee St.Elmo's FIRE. Like THIS IS IT THE ROPE IS WIRE I"M ABOUT TO VAPORIZE electrical phenomena.First and hopefully last time I've ever been zapped.

Ken and I went to the same school back in the day (me '79-'83), were both active in the Outing Club.For belay training before going on a climbing trip, to give a good simulation of catching a fall, we came up with the following:There was a fire escape on the side of the infirmary on campus. We rigged a top rope anchor off it, then a separate pulley that had a second rope. We lifted and rolled a steel manhole cover over to the bottom of the fire escape.We tied both ropes (at least one was a Goldline) to the manhole cover, used one to hoist it up.The other was the belay rope, manhole cover was "the climber". The belayers, using a hip belay, would take up slack as the cover was raised. The belayer would catch announced falls, and lower the cover, but would also have to catch an un-announced fall, with a couple of feet of slack. They wore belay gloves, but I'd say about half of of them got rope burns or rash on their sides from the rope.Made perfect sense at the time, but seems pretty sadistic in hindsight!

LOL, really amusing story. Back when men were (not very smart) real men, and hip belays were de rigueur! I bet (though never done one myself), by their nature, hip belays produce soft catches. They might just mount a comeback on that account!

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"You have to decide to do a flag, where you can broke your vertebrae or a barn door depending of your pro" - the poster formerly known as Champ